Another Day
by WarriorGaurdian
Summary: Don will live to see another day, but the day will be lonely. Character Deaths.


Disclaimer: If I owned it, would it be on my Christmas wish-list?

Summary: Don will live to see another day, but the day will be lonely.

Spoilers: Whole series, set after Charlie and Amita get back from London.

Warning: Multiple Character Deaths, Plenty of Don Angst.

Thanks to: My sister for Beta-ing this, thanks you soooooo much Mo! You for reading and reviewing, I read and love every single one of them.

ANOTHER DAY:

Don smiled. Robin was sitting in the front seat with him in his SUV. Charlie and Amita sat in the back seat. They were heading to the courthouse for a case. His dad was babysitting Charlie and Amita's daughter, Simone.

Don smiled at Robin and squeezed her thigh. She smiled back. Don looked back on it and wished that he took the exit, instead of the short cut.

As they crossed a bridge, a blue pick up barreled into the much bigger SUV.

Don didn't have the time to call a warning. The SUV fell off the edge of the bridge.

Don hit his head on something and everything turned white. When Don's vision cleared, he was upside down. The only thing holding him in place was his seat belt.

"Robin? Charlie? Amita?" Don called hoarsely. There was no reply. Don carefully turned his head to the side, ignoring the pain. Robin was deathly still. "Robin?"

Don undid his seat belt. Vaguely he heard police sirens in the distance, coming closer. He tried the door but it was stuck fast so he crawled out of the window. He ignored the crowd gathering around the car and ran around to Robin's side. He carefully and gently unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her out of the wreck of the car. He spotted the LAPD car and the two officers.

"Officers!" Don yelled. He carried her towards them. "She's Robin Brooks. AUSA. Please take care of her."

The female officer took Robin and the male officer followed Don back to the SUV.

"Charlie?" Don rasped.

"Don?"

"Right here buddy." Don said. "There is a uniform here to help Amita."

Don pulled Charlie out of the wreck and the LAPD officer pulled Amita out.

Don carried Charlie towards the female officer and Robin. Charlie's eyes fluttered a bit.

"Hey stay awake." Don said firmly. "Just for a bit longer."

"Okay, take care of Amita, please?" Charlie whispered.

Don's voice got stuck in his throat. "You aren't dying buddy."

"But if I do, will you?" Charlie persisted.

Don nodded. "Okay, I will."

Charlie smiled, "Don?"

"Yeah buddy?"

"Simone needs a parent. Be hers, Don. Please." Charlie said.

"Charlie, I can't." Don said as he laid him down on the pavement.

"Please Don." Charlie whispered. "Please."

Don nodded. "Okay, Chuck."

"Thanks Don." Charlie closed his eyes.

Don closed his eyes briefly. He got up and walked over to Robin and sat down by her side.

The male officer put a hand on Don's shoulder.

"I'm sorry sir," He said sympathetically, "She's gone."

Don stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"What? Robin?" Don whispered. "Robin, wake up. Please…"

Don buried his face in her shoulder. "Please, Robin. Wake up. Please."

Don stayed there, rocking Robin back and forth, whispering to her until a soft hand landed on his shoulder.

Don looked up. Colby smiled sadly.

"Hey man" He said.

Don looked around. There were ambulances and police cars around the wreck of his SUV.

"Don," Colby repeated. "Officers took Amita and Charlie to the hospital."

Don nodded numbly.

"Are you okay, man?" Colby asked, concern swimming in his eyes.

"She's gone." Don whispered hoarsely. "She's gone. She had my child. They're gone." The world spun around Don. "She's gone. She won't wake up." Don heard Colby yelling for a paramedic and then everything went black.

- .- -.- -… . /- .- -.- -… . /-. .. -.-. - /… - .- - ..

Don woke up slowly. There was a beeping sound in the background.

"Charlie? Robin?" He called, his mouth ridiculously dry.

"Shh. It's okay, Don."

It took a few seconds to register the voice.

"Colby?" Don asked. He tried to sit up but quickly abandoned the idea as the world spun around him. "What happened? Where am I?"

"It's okay, Don." Colby repeated. "Your dad is talking to your doctor."

"Where is Charlie? Where's Robin? Where's Amita? Where's Simone?" Don demanded.

"Simone's okay. Liz and Nikki are looking after her until you get out of the hospital." Colby said.

"Where's Robin? And Charlie? And Amita?" Don asked.

Colby didn't reply, looking down, anywhere but Don. Don struggled to sit up.

"Whoa, Don. Stay down." Colby reached over.

"Where is Robin?" Don yelled. "Where?"

Colby bowed his head. "She's down in the morgue. With Charlie and Amita. I'm sorry Don."

Don stared at Colby. "No… it can't be… please tell me your lying. No it can't be. No! No, it can't be! Please. Robin." He stared at Colby like a lost child. "Robin! Charlie! Amita! It can't be. Robin. Please. No." Tears stream down his face.

"Don. I'm sorry." Colby said softly.

Sobs racketed his body. He hardly realized that his forearm was wrapped in soft bandages.

"Don?" Colby gently reached out towards him. "I'm so sorry, man."

"She was pregnant!" Don yelled. "She had my child." Hot tears fell down his face. "She had a child, we were finally going to start a family."

Don vaguely realized that his dad came back into the room. His dad's warm arms wrapped around him.

"Shh, it's okay, son." Alan whispered in his ear. "I got you."

Don nodded, his throat to choked up to talk.

.- …. . -. /.- . /.- . .-. . /-.- - ..- -. -.

Don stood, his hands jammed into his pockets. He didn't hear anything anyone was saying.

Three caskets.

Robin, Charlie and Amita.

He felt people leaving to let closer family members have a moment with Robin, Charlie and Amita.

Don numbly walked up to the coffins. He stopped by Amita and Charlie's.

"I'm sorry we argued, Chuck." He said quietly. "It took the first 28 years of your life for us to connect. I'm sorry. Take care of Amita up there, say hello to Mom for me. I'll take care of Simone for you. I promise."

He brushed his hand over Robin's coffin.

"I'm sorry Robin." Don said quietly. "Mom will take care of you and our kid, I promise."

He pressed his lips together, trying to keep the tears in.

"I love you Robin, I miss you." Don whispered.

He stepped away, letting other people say their goodbye's. He stepped outside onto the church steps, finally letting the tears fall.

-.. .-. .. ..-. - /.- .- .- -.- /-.. - -… .. . /-. .-. .- -.-

After the funeral, Don walked up to his room at the Craftsman and locked himself in, hardly came out of his room except to go to the kitchen or to the bathroom.

On the fourth day, when Don came down for lunch he got a surprise.

As he walked into the dining room, Nikki was waiting for him by the kitchen door. Don turned around and saw Colby leaning against the doorway from which he came from. Liz stood in the door connecting to the living room. They stood, effectively blocking all of his exits.

"Don." Colby greeted him. "Hey."

Don raised his eyebrow.

"How's it going Don?" Liz said.

Don shrugged and headed over to the kitchen.

Nikki gently stepped in front of him. "Don. Look at us."

Don looked up at them and that was when his team truly saw how lost Don looked. His hair and clothes were rumpled and dark circles outlined his eyes.

"Don, Alan told us about your current living style." Colby said.

Don smiled slightly. "You're here to tell me off?" he said hollowly.

"Yep." Liz said, smiling. "Come on Don. You need to move on."

"You rehearsed it didn't you?" Don asked, seeing right through his agents' words.

"Ummm. Yeah." Colby admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, thank you for the thought but I'm okay." Don said. Forgetting about his lunch, he headed towards the hallway again.

"Don…" Colby put his hand on his shoulder.

Don grabbed his hand and tossed Colby over his shoulder. Colby grunted as he landed on the hard floor.

"Don!" Liz yelled.

Colby raised his hand to stop her. "If it makes you feel better, take it. Take the punch, Don. Take it."

Don narrowed his eyes. Without really thinking, he aimed a thrust at Colby's head.

The ex-army soldier sidestepped. Don kicked Colby in the midriff, his long years in the FBI matching Colby's military background.

Colby caught Don's foot and flipped him over onto the ground.

Don glared at Colby from the floor.

"You don't know anything." He growled. "How much it hurts. How much I wish I died in that car crash with them."

"Don…"

Don stood up.

"Each morning I wake up wondering if I should join them." Don continued. "Each hour after I wake up I wonder if I'm one of Charlie's anomalies. The probability of just me surviving is small. I'm just an anomaly. Anomaly with one 'o'. A-N-O-M-A-L-Y."

"Don," Liz said.

"Some evenings I wonder if the bullets I planted in some perps' head actually belongs here." Don said quietly, pointing to his temple.

"Boss-" Nikki started.

"At night I lie awake in my bed for hours on end wondering if I should end this." Don murmured. "Wondering if now it could be the end."

Colby, Nikki and Liz stared at Don.

"So if I want to be left alone," Don said. "Please, leave me alone."

Colby didn't stop him as Don brushed past him.

"Boss." Nikki said quietly. Don looked back at her. "You might be an anomaly, but there is a good reason for you to still be here."

Don stared strangely at her.

"Simone needs a parent Don." Liz said.

"'Be hers Don. Please' that's what Charlie said." Don said. "Last thing he told me."

"What did you say?" Liz asked.

"'Okay Chuck.'" Don said.

"Why are you stone walling her and everyone else?"

"Robin was pregnant. We were finally going to have a child together." Don said. "My child never had a chance." Don ran his hand through his hair. "I wish I was dead and Robin was alive instead. Why couldn't I had sat in the passenger's seat and she sat in the driver's seat?" Tears rolled down Don's face.

"It's just the way it's meant to be." Colby said.

"Is it meant to have me waking up and reaching over to the other side of the bed, hoping to encounter Robin's warmth? And if I do, I wake up and realize it's a dream." Don said. He struggled up to his feet. "So if I ask to be left alone, could you please leave me alone?"

"Wait, Don." Colby attempted on last time.

Don spun around and punched Colby in the face.

"Don!"

He spun around. Alan and Simone stood in the door. Simone hid her face behind Alan's legs.

"Donny, what are you doing?" Alan asked.

Don's mouth fell open. Simone glanced out from her shelter.

"Grandda." She whispered. "What's wrong with Uncle Don?"

Silence fell across the dining room. Don knelt down to Simone's eye height.

"I'm sorry sweetie." Don whispered. "Did I scare you?"

Simone gave a quick nod.

"I'm sorry." Don said, holding out his arms. "I didn't mean to scare you. Come here."

Simone took a cautious step towards Don. He smiled at her and she threw herself into his arms.

"It's okay honey." Don whispered, patting her back. He looked up at his dad. He smiled at Don and Simone. "Hey, how 'bout I make you lunch to make up for it? Okay?"

"Okay!" Simone stood up and took his hand. "Peanut butter and jelly?"

"Anything you want sweetie." Don said. "Anything you want."

.. /.-.. - …- ./ -.- - ..- /- - … …. .- /.. -./ - …. . /- - … -/ …. . - . .-. - … . -..- ..- .- .-.. /.- .- -.-

Don walked across the grassy field. Really he had no idea where he was going, but yet some how he did.

As he walked up the rise, he stopped.

Under a tree, five people were having a picnic.

One of them spotted Don.

"Hey Don! Come join us!"

Don's feet seemed to have a mind of their own, as he walked towards the people at the picnic.

"Sit down," she moved over on the cloth.

Don sat down in a daze.

"Mom?" he whispered.

"Hi sweetie." His mom hugged him.

"Robin? Charlie? Amita?"

They smiled back at him.

"What are you doing here?" Don asked.

"We just wanted to see you." Charlie said. "Thank you so much for taking care of Simone for me and Amita."

"We can't tell you how much we appreciate it." Amita smiled.

"No problem." Don said in a daze.

"Don," Robin picked up his hand. "I have someone here who wants to meet you."

Robin handed him a young baby. "He would have been our son." She said softly. "Percy Chase Eppes. He's perfect, isn't he?"

Don looked down at his son. His son opened his dark eyes and reached up towards Don. Percy gurgled happily. Don smiled at his young son.

"What are you doing here?" Don asked again.

"It was time for you to see us again." His mother said again. "You've felt too lonely."

Don looked at his deceased family, "I don't feel lonely any more," he said truthfully, his throat tightening. "And I have Simone to worry about."

"Even the happiest people can be lonely sometimes." Robin said. Don smiled at her.

His mother smiled at her family. "Don, it's time for us to go." She said.

"Do you?" Don asked.

"You'll see us again soon," Charlie said, "Sooner than you think."

Don got up to his feet with the others.

Amita gave Don a hug. "Thanks you for taking care of Simone. You're a great parent, Don. We'll look after your son too."

"Thanks." Don smiled.

Charlie smiled. "I miss you Don."

"We've been farther away." Don smiled.

Charlie laughed.

His mother kissed his forehead. "I'll see you later Donny." She whispered.

Don nodded then held out his arms for a hug. His mother gave him a quick hug and stepped away leaving Don and Robin together.

Robin took Percy back, Don put his hand on her shoulder and touched Percy's little sleeping face.

"We'll be together again." Don whispered. "All of us."

"I know." Robin smiled at him. "I love you Don. Remember that okay?"

"I love you too." Don whispered.

He hugged Robin, holding Robin and Percy close.

Finally Robin pulled away and gently kissed Don.

"Goodbye, Don." She whispered.

Don swallowed, "Goodbye." He said, trying not to feel like it was the last time he was going to talk to them.

Charlie, Amita, his mother, Robin and Percy walked away, disappearing over the ridge.

Don closed his eyes, tears falling down his face.

And he woke up in his bedroom at Charlie's house.

Quietly he got out of bed and went into Simone's room.

She was sleeping peacefully, hugging her little teddy bear. Don gently brushed her hair.

"Your mom and dad love you." He whispered.

"I love you Uncle Don."

Don jumped as Simone opened her eyes.

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead. "Now go back to sleep, it's one in the morning."

"Okay."

Don smiled as Simone fell back to sleep.

Soon, maybe someday, they'll all be together. Dad, Mom, Charlie and Amita, Simone, Percy, him and Robin.

Maybe another day.


End file.
